'Seeing how players are training in the last three days is a pleasing sight': Morkel 

IANS June 13, 2025 287 views

India's cricket team is gearing up for a challenging five-match Test series in England, with bowling coach Morne Morkel expressing optimism about the team's preparation. The players have been training intensively since arriving in the UK, focusing on adapting to challenging English conditions. Morkel highlighted the importance of consistency and maintaining high energy levels throughout the series. The team's first Test match is scheduled for June 20 in Leeds, marking the start of the 2025-27 ICC World Test Championship cycle.

"Seeing how players are training in the last three days is a pleasing sight" - Morne Morkel
London, June 13: India bowling coach Morne Morkel has expressed satisfaction with the intensity displayed by the players during the training camp and stressed that consistency in practice as well as on the field will be crucial in England.

Key Points

1

India begins five-match Test series on June 20 in Leeds

2

Bowling coach emphasizes consistency in practice and performance

3

Players training intensively after limited red-ball cricket

4

Series kicks off new ICC World Test Championship cycle

The five-match Test series will commence on June 20 in Leeds before the action moves to Birmingham for the second Test. The Lord’s Cricket Ground will host the third Test, beginning on July 10. Old Trafford and Kennington Oval will host the fourth and fifth Tests of the series respectively.

Are grinding it out in the training sessions since arriving in the UK on June 7, Team India will play an intra-squad match starting in Beckenham on Friday.

"In the two-day practice so far, the conditions suited the fast bowlers. It was testing for the batters, which also in a way helps them to prepare for what's to come. I don't think the wicket is going to be as spicy as the ones we experienced here," Morkle said in a video shared by BCCI on social media.

"There's been a lot of good banter between bat and ball, but I think it's only because the wickets are a lit bit spicy. As soon as the wickets go flat, the bowlers tend to back off. I am gonna tell them not to only talk when the wickets are nipping around, but when it's flat, that's where we are gonna need the character.

"I think consistency is crucial in England and there is consistency when we practice, there's consistency off the field, finding your process, what's going to work for you as an individual. We've got a great variation, variety in our attack, guys with different skill sets so they can do that and still execute the basics well," he added.

The five-Test series will kick off the 2025–27 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle for both teams. India last featured in a Test match during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in January and since then, players have been engaged in white-ball competitions including the Champions Trophy and the IPL.

"All in all, happy with the start so far. I was a little bit nervous in terms of the lack of red ball we've played, but seeing how the guys are moving around and training in the last three days is a pleasing sight. We have a fantastic group... There's some quality energy and that's what you need. You need to go into a Test series confident and have that team spirit..." said Morkel.

Reader Comments

Here are 6 diverse Indian perspective comments for the cricket article:
R
Rahul K.
Good to see Morkel's confidence in our bowling attack! 🇮🇳 The variety in our pace battery - Bumrah's yorkers, Siraj's swing, Shami's seam - could really trouble England in their conditions. Hope they stay injury-free throughout the series!
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Priya M.
After all that IPL madness, hope our batters can quickly adapt to Test cricket mindset. Pujara's county experience might be crucial here. England's conditions are always challenging but our team has the talent to conquer!
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Arjun S.
Morkel makes a great point about maintaining intensity on flat wickets. That's where we've struggled before - dominating when conditions help but fading when it gets tough. This mental toughness will decide if we can finally win a series in England after 2007!
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Sneha R.
While the bowling looks strong, I'm worried about our middle order. Kohli needs to find his Test form again and Gill has to step up. Five Tests is a marathon, not a sprint. Hope the intra-squad match gives proper match practice! 🏏
V
Vikram J.
England's batting looks vulnerable against quality pace. If our bowlers stay fit and our batters can average 30+ in these conditions, we have a real chance. Remember 2021 - we were leading 2-1 before the final Test was cancelled!
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Neha P.
The WTC context makes this series extra important. No more "transition phase" excuses - this is our strongest possible team. Hope Dravid and Morkel have prepared them well. Jai Hind! 🙏 Let's bring the trophy home this time!

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